The Death Note Discovery
by KaibaGirl007
Summary: “You’ve clearly just got a notebook belonging to some geek, a rather sick geek I’ll give you that, who likes to keep note of people’s deaths.” - Will the team resist the urge to use the Death Note or will one of them give into temptation?
1. Chapter 1

**Yay, my second Torchwood fic!**

**This is an idea that wouldn't leave me alone so I had to write it. **

**I own no rights to anything 'cause I'm poor :P  
**

**The Death Note Discovery **

The huge circular entrance opened and in stepped Owen as he strode into work late, again. He didn't care, what was the worse his boss could do? Kill him? He was already dead. Fire him? He was needed too much. Retcon him? Ha, that would just be doing him a favour, but of course that wouldn't work either.

"Good morning." Toshiko greeted him as she glanced up from the book that she and Gwen were studying as they stood at her workstation.

"Remind me what's so good about it." Owen's rhetorical demand oozed sarcasm as he approached the two women.

"Okay Tosh, this is the last page with names on." Gwen handed over the book and the technical expert was quick to type the names displayed onto her keyboard.

"What's going on?" Owen asked curiously as he watched them both at work.

"Ianto found this note book on his way to work this morning." Gwen began to explain as she watched the names being prepared on the computer ready for the search to begin. "We're investigating its claims before we inform Jack of the discovery."

"What claims?" The book was snatched from Toshiko's hands as she pressed enter to start her search, and Owen began to flick through the pages before he returned back to the front of the book to start reading the list of rules out loud. "_The human whose name is written in this note shall die._" He murmured the rest quietly under his breath, - not that he had any, - before he glance back up. "Congratulations, you've found a book that belongs to an Emo."

"Better safe than sorry."

Owen turned and glared at Ianto stood behind him holding a tray of four coffees. "It's a notebook; it can't seriously kill anyone, so stop thinking that you've found some excitement in that boring life of yours."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Toshiko announced as the first wave of names on her search began to appear on screen with the information she'd been seeking.

"Oh my god!" Gwen gasped as she covered her mouth with her hand from seeing the confirmation of the deaths of the people whose names had been written in the book.

The tray of drinks was placed beside the fruit bowl on the workstation and Ianto left swiftly. "I'll go and get Jack."

"That proves nothing." Owen snorted cynically. "You've clearly just got a notebook belonging to some geek, - a rather sick geek I'll give you that, - who likes to keep note of people's deaths."

"So you don't think that it came through the rift?" Gwen asked, it was usually herself who was the sceptical one.

"No I don't."

"Then it's a good thing we listen to Jack and not you." Toshiko shot back as she typed away to find out if they were any links or similarities between the deaths. "But it would be a good idea to carry out more tests."

"So are you agreeing with me about this nonsense?"

"No." Toshiko replied feebly to Owen's question.

There was silence as Owen just stared at his colleague typing away as fast as she could manage; her cheeks flushed slightly giving away the fact that she too was a little bit sceptical. It wasn't very often that someone showed even the tiniest bit of interest or agreed with him since he'd died, though that didn't seem to deter Toshiko's feelings for him that he'd been ignoring all these years.

"What's this I hear about a killer notebook?" Jack laughed as he came down from his office, Ianto following in his wake.

"A killer's notebook more like." Owen sighed as he reached across for one of his colleague's pens. "I'll prove it." He clicked the pen and began to write in the book.

"What are you doing?!" Gwen asked horrified as she watched Owen click the pen once he'd finished and then snapped the book closed.

"Carrying out further tests." Owen stated smugly as the rest of the team stared at him demanding answers. "Since we know that our 'beloved' captain can't 'pass away', I've entered his name into the notebook. Once the forty seconds the book claims that it needs are over for the death to occur, then we should see him die and come back to life, proving the book _can_ kill. If nothing happens then we know that I'm right after all, and this is just some sicko's joke."

"That won't work Owen." An amused smile was present on Jack's face.

"Why not?"

"Its not his real name." Toshiko confirmed the fact that she knew would be the flaw in her colleague's test.

"Of course." Owen gave a heavy and frustrated sigh, why hadn't he thought of that? "Time for test B." He opened the book and scribbled another name before snapping it shut again.

"Now what have you done?" Jack demanded in an irritated tone.

"To prove my point that this thing doesn't work, I've written another name down." A sly smile crept on Owen's face. "And since I'm already dead, I had only three choices to choose from. It could be anyone of you lot." He glanced from the man behind Jack to the two women next to him.

"You sick, twisted, evil, spiteful little fuck!" Gwen screamed in distraught.

"Why Owen?" There were tears in Toshiko's eyes. "What if you're wrong?"

"Don't worry Tosh, you and Gwen will be fine, we all know that I'm the one whose name he wrote." Ianto spoke calmly as he consulted his stopwatch.

Owen's face bore a disgusted look. "You could die any second now, and you're timing it?"

"Collecting data, that's what I do." Still Ianto looked at the hands of his stopwatch as they ticked each second away.

Jack glanced at each of his team in turn fearful of the outcome of losing one of them. His eyes angrily narrowed on Owen. "If any of them die, I'll …"

"You'll what? Kill me?" He laughed in response as he broke across the captain's words. "I'm already dead Jack; I have nothing left to fear!"

"There's always something left to fear." Jack assured him in a heated, hateful manner.

"Its okay Jack, time's up and we're all still here." The stopwatch was held up to confirm that the forty seconds required by the book had past. A frown appeared on the young Welshman's face. "Looks like Owen was right, the book is merely nothing more than someone's notes."

"Oh thank god for that!" Jack sighed heavily as he reached out and pulled Ianto closer to him.

"Don't you do anything like that ever again!" Gwen lashed out and shoved Owen so hard that he staggered several paces backwards.

"Calm down Gwen, he's proved his point now let's forget about it." Toshiko came to his defence.

Owen nodded his head in agreement with what the technical expert had said, as he gulped back the lump in his throat. What could Jack have meant by 'there's always something left to fear'? His stomach also began to twist with the thought of the reactions he'd seen his team mates show just a few moments ago. Did they really deserve to have been played with like that?

The phone in Jack's office began to ring. He let go of Ianto in order to go and answer the call, leaving the other four in huge silence space. Ianto watched him leave before he returned back to the tray of coffees that had been placed down.

"Just for the record, I didn't write your name in the book." Owen spoke out as he watched the other man return to his chore. "In fact, I didn't write any of your names in the book, only Jack's the first time and … it doesn't matter, but the point is that I wouldn't be so stupid and careless to have forfeited any of you like that."

"Are you saying that you care about us and that you did have doubts about the book all along?" Toshiko asked smugly as she folded her arms.

"Maybe." Owen nodded and avoided the gazes from all three of them.

"Then whose name did you write?" Gwen voiced what they all wanted to know.

There was the sound of flapping wings inside the hub. Ianto looked up expecting to see Myfanwy returning from her flight but there was no sign of the pteranodon. What he did see though caused him to drop the tray of drinks from being easily startled.

"Doesn't matter; let's just lock the book away …" Owen stopped at hearing the sound of the mugs crashing to the ground and his view joined his colleague's.

A hand was raised as Toshiko managed to muffle the noise that tried to escape her.

"Shit!" Gwen gasped as her view joined the others'.

"Okay kiddies, I have some news to share." Jack cheerily shouted out as he rejoined the group. "I've just got off the phone with Martha and ….." He stopped at seeing his four team members all staring into the same empty spot in the middle of them.

Slowly Toshiko moved to grab a shiny red apple from her fruit bowl and threw it towards the spot they were all staring at. The apple appeared to float in midair before it was devoured completely in three bites by an invisible being.

"What's going on here?" Jack gave a nervous laugh as he asked the question.

"Here, you might want to hold this." Owen threw the notebook towards his captain.

Jack caught the book and almost instantly he was now able to see the Shinigami that had entered the hub. It hovered just inches above the ground and towered over them at eight feet tall, humanoid in form with black leather wings, face pale that was almost white in colour and bore a huge toothy grin with its eyes staring at him. "Oh fuck!"

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**Should it stay as a one-shot or is it worth continuing into something more?**

**Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed :)**

**KG**


	2. Chapter 2

**Big thanks to: deetatarant, Mikase, Galadriel1010, Storms-Are-My-Nature, 02gouldic, and bbmcowgirl for leaving reviews.**

**It's because of you guys that this story is continuing ;)**

**Chapter Two**

There was silence in the hub as the whole Torchwood team continued to stare at the strange creature that had entered their underground space.

"Who are you?" Jack managed to ask through the stunned expression from suddenly being able to see the pale grinning face that was fixed on him.

"My kind has no need for individual names like you humans do." The being chuckled as it stared without ever blinking its eyes that always remained wide open.

"In that case then, I'll call you Bob." The captain stated cheerily to the now disgusted looking figure towering over them all. "Unless you'd prefer to be called Barbara?"

"We are simply known as the Shinigami throughout your kind."

"Shinigami?" Gwen asked with her nose wrinkled in confusion.

"Gods of death." Toshiko explained quietly from where she sat at her workstation. "They're known in Japanese folklore as the takers of souls."

"No!" Owen yelled angrily and caught the attention of all his colleagues and the lanky being. "I've just been through this Grim Reaper crap; I'm not doing it again!"

"Calm down, we'll sort this out together, as a team; he's not taking anyone's soul away." Jack assured the young doctor and then eyed the Shinigami who had started to chuckle. "What's so funny, _Bob_?"

"You humans always manage to amuse me, with your misleading tales, easily manipulative emotions and never ending search for explanations to everything you encounter during your lifetimes." The toothy grin widened as the laughter grew louder and echoed around the huge open space. "We Shinigami only take souls at random intervals in order to extend our lifespan and vanquish the boredom that plagues us throughout that time."

"So you're here to kill us?" Gwen asked rather startled.

More laughter filled the hub. "No, I'm simply here to make myself known to the new owner of my Death Note."

"Death Note, is that was this thing is?" Jack began to flick through the blank pages of the book. "What does it do?"

"I would have thought that was obvious." Owen snorted out loud.

"Of course." The captain sighed heavily at the younger man's sarcastic remark but still his gaze was fixed towards the soul taker. "This is how you kill, isn't it?"

"No, I only use my own _personal_ Death Note in order to take the souls that I seek." The Shinigami pat the battered looking book strapped around his waist. "That Death Note is the one that I allow humans use, just for fun." He chuckled. "They're the ones who do the un-necessary killing."

"That's sick." Gwen shook her head in disbelief at the thought that anyone would actually use it.

"And now we own the book." Jack laughed, as he planned to lock it away in the safe with the other items that should never be used.

Yet more laughter from the Shinigami. "Only one of you _owns_ it."

"Owen wrote in it." Toshiko gasped and four sets of eyes landed on him.

"I own it?" The young doctor laughed in mock amazement. "Seriously?"

"You may have written in it, but you _do not_ own it." The Shinigami sneered. "Even _if _you had been the one to find the Death Note you would _not_ be considered as the owner as you are _no-longer_ one of the living."

Anger burned inside Owen at having been reminded once more of his newfound state of 'living'. _If the owner is the one who found it then…_ his view slowly lowered to where the young Welshman was clearing up the smashed mugs and spilt coffee.

"Ianto?!" All four of his colleagues chorused together as they stared at him, along with the grinning soul taker who chuckled quietly at seeing their shocked expressions.

"Did you kill those people?" Jack found himself asking about the list of names that he had been told of, though he didn't believe the younger man was capable of hurting another living thing let alone kill anyone.

"No I didn't." Ianto replied hurtfully at the question that had been asked, but he'd kept secrets from them before so knew that they _all_ had every right to be doubtful.

"The handwriting isn't his." Toshiko confirmed the Welshman's innocence.

"It's okay Ianto, I believe you." Jack assured him as he opened the book to find that it was completely blank. "Where's the list?" The book was held open to show the empty space.

"It was there, we all saw it!" Gwen exclaimed in surprise.

"I erased the names just a few moments ago." The Shinigami began to chuckle some more. "Usually each new owner discovers the Death Note as a fresh clean slate, but last time it took a while for the previous owner to get started because of his doubts, so I decided to leave in his most recent entries to get the ball rolling this time around. And it looks like it worked as you all were quick to check out the deaths before deciding to use it yourselves, allowing me to appear in this world once more."

"What happened to the previous owner?" It was Ianto that asked what they were all thinking.

The toothy grin grew wider. "I got bored."

"Y-y-you k-killed him?!" The Welshman stuttered, causing more laughter to fill the hub.

"This must be how he 'randomly' chooses his victims." Owen spoke his assumption out loud. "They find the book; use it for _his _entertainment, then when he gets bored takes their soul before moving on in search of the next unlucky bastard."

"What if we destroy the Death Note?" Toshiko stared into the unblinking eyes. "Would that stop you from taking Ianto?"

"_Only_ if my personal Death Note is destroyed."

"And how do we do that?" Gwen joined the questioning.

"Like he's going to be stupid enough to tell us." Owen rolled his eyes at the ridiculous question.

"It was worth a try." She shot back.

"Face it, Ianto's a boring sod, so he's a goner any moment now."

"Stop it you two." Jack spoke with irritation at his two team members' bickering. His gaze was fixed on the younger man who was now kneeling on the floor, staring into oblivion right past the mess of coffee and broken cups, no doubt traumatized by the fate looming over him. "We destroy this book first and then we'll go after Bob's."

Another disgusted look appeared on the Shinigami's face at having been addressed by the human's degrading choice of name. "You won't succeed in defeating the power held within the Death Note." He sneered.

"We'll find a way." Jack's voice was confident as he masked the possibility of losing yet another lover.

The pale being lowered himself as he stared at the captain straight on. "How long before I kill your office-boy? Weeks? Days? Hours? Minutes? Do you think that you can overcome me before that time?" There was a malevolent tone to the soul taker's questioning that was followed by a chilling laughter at seeing the unnerved expression he had uncovered.

"Lock it away." All five pairs of eyes were drawn to Ianto at hearing him speak. "That way nobody will be able to use the book, and once I'm gone no one else will become the next target. Just a few moments ago he said that Owen writing in the notebook allowed him to 'appear in this world', which means that he must return to his own once his victim has died and can't return unless the book is activated again." A faint smile wavered on his lips. "I'm going to die as a result of this anyway so might as well make it worth while."

"Don't think like that Ianto sweetheart, Jack's right; we will find a way to beat this." Gwen tried to assure him.

"Is that what you really what?" The captain asked seemingly ignoring what the Welshwoman had said.

"It is." Was the confirmation from the watery blue eyes staring up.

"Okay." Jack nodded in return before addressing the rest of his team. "Back to work, as normal."

"But…" Toshiko dared to protest.

"I said back to work!" Jack snapped his order once more as he continued towards his office with the book fixed firmly under his arm.

The Shinigami chuckled under his breath as he watched the four humans do as they had been told and hurry back to the tasks they had been occupied with before the Death Note discovery. "This could be interesting." He was determined to lure at least one of them into using the notebook.

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**A/N: My apologises to those of you who were/are expecting a 'Torchwood/DeathNote' crossover, but I merely just wanted to use the concept of the notebook and Shinigami for this fic, ****nothing more.**

**As long as there is at least one review left for each chapter, I will continue to update weekly :)**

**KG**


	3. Chapter 3

**Big thanks to: CrazieCheesecake, Mindy, Watcha, bbmcowgirl, Storms-Are-My-Nature, and CantThinkaNuffin for leaving reviews :)**

**Chapter Three**

Jack sat behind the desk in his office, his elbows on the surface top and hands clenched together with his chin resting on them as he wallowed in his thoughts. He wouldn't allow the Shinigami to take Ianto away; he needed that man in his life too much to be parted from him.

Looking down at the notebook in front on the desktop, he returned to the task at hand. So far in his attempts to destroy the Death Note he had tried to burn it but the book would not catch fire, shredded the pages but they grew back, and tipped ink throughout the book to make it unusable but it had just simply evaporated from the paper leaves. He wasn't sure what else he could do other than accept the fact that he would be losing the Welshman to the soul taker; which he was currently denying to himself.

Silently and smoothly, the Shinigami glided through the door of the captain's workspace as it materialised from one side to the other. "Get out of my office." Jack snarled at the being who fixed its grinning stare on him and remained where it hovered. "I said get out!" Riding on his anger, he drew his gun and shot the being right through the centre of its forehead.

"It'll take more than that to get rid of me." Chuckled the pale grinning form.

"I know." Jack reluctantly admitted as he placed his gun back in the holster around his waist and cursed at himself for losing his cool so easily; with his lover's life at sake, it was hard for him not to. "But I _will _find a way to defeat you, _Bob_."

There was that name again. "Why must you insist on referring to me with your human terms?"

"To segregate you from the rest the Shinigami." Jack explained as he leaned back into his chair, eyes still fixed on the intruder. "The rest of your kind simply do what is necessary to survive throughout their time, whereas you take pleasure in corrupting humans to carry out murderous intentions towards each other. I hate stereotyping races and don't want your people pigeonholed by your actions. You will be known as 'Bob' to my team, and once we've met other Shinigami only then will we determine just what kind of _people_ you are."

"It's humiliating and undignified!"

"I'm glad to hear it." Jack smirked at hearing the Shinigami's exclamation. "That means your people hold pride and respect, so if I lock this book away from humanity, - never to be used ever again, - and you decide to kill Ianto; then you return to your world a complete laughing stock, disgraced and outcast from having been 'humanised'." He wasn't relying on it, but hoped that this possibility for the soul taker would buy the time needed for him to figure out how to destroy the Death Note.

"What if I'm already an outcast?" The question was accompanied by a faint chortle and received no answer. Bob laughed some more and hovered closer towards the desk. "Why do you hide yourself from them?"

"I'm not hiding from anyone." The question was preposterous and yet true.

"Then why not tell the members of your team what your real name is, '_Jack'_?" The grin grew wider at seeing the inquisitive look in the captain's eyes, wanting to know how he knew about the information withhold. "We Shinigami have the ability to see a person's name just by looking at them."

Jack gave out a heavy sigh. "It's for their own safety."

"Safety from what?"

"From the person I use to be." The captain confessed.

"Would that be the kind of person who'd consider using the notebook on your desktop?" The office filled with Bob's laughter as he watched the human divert his gaze by eyeing up the Death Note, clearly thinking about writing in its pages.

"Luckily, the majority of names that I'd enter in there are non-human, so it'd be a pointless thing to do." Jack's eyes turned back to the Shinigami and he leaned forward in his chair. "I won't be brought down to your level and neither will any member of my team. That book will remain empty for the rest of time."

"Are you sure of that?" The soul taker sneered. "I'm pretty sure that at least one, if not more, of them would give way to temptation." He gave a chuckle, humans were easy to break and manipulate. "How well do you know those four?"

"Well enough." Jack replied confidently, though now that he was beginning to think about it he wasn't so sure.

His main concern was Owen, as the young doctor's emotions had been all over the place since the resurrection glove had been used to bring him back from his death, and he had distastefully joked about writing one of the others' names in the book earlier that day. Toshiko was smart, she wouldn't be convinced into doing something so homicidal, but then again she had been fooled in the past with the gift of a pendant. Gwen; he had no doubts there as the woman was too head strong to go against anything she believed in, which just left Ianto.

The Welshman was a lot stronger than what he was given credit for by most people. He may seem timid and withdrawn upon first impressions, which in fact was quite true, but threaten anything he felt strongly towards and he became a different person. Take Lisa for example, - he fought tremendously hard to keep her secret from the team and refused to do as his captain had ordered during their discovery of her. What kind of inner strength must it have taken to do what he had back then? And who else could think fast, remain calm, be understanding, polite, witty, meet a tight schedule, stay on top of paperwork, dress smartly, make the coffees and put up with their lover's excessive amount of flirting towards others? Jack knew he himself couldn't.

More laughter as Bob saw the distant look of uncertainty wash over the man's perturbed blue eyes. "Perhaps it's just as well that you haven't told them your real identity."

Jack broke from his drifting thoughts. "Even if one of them did place my name in that thing, it doesn't worry me the slightest bit."

"It should do." Yet another chuckle from the Shinigami. "Even though your aura is different to theirs and on a level that could possibly rival the power of …"

The office door opened and interrupted Bob's words. "Oh, I'll come back in a little while."

"No Ianto, you won't." Jack spoke firmly as he rose from his chair glaring at the soul taker. "Bob was just leaving, _weren't you_?"

Hysterical laughter erupted loudly from the enormous toothy grin. "You can't order me around _'Jack'_. I roam close by the owner of the Death Note, if ordered by them then I _might_ do as they say." His stare fell down upon the uncomfortable looking Welshman.

"Please leave us alone for a little while." Ianto swallowed the lump in his throat and avoided the dark unblinking gaze.

"Please?!" The Shinigami laughed. "You even lack the backbone to order me away from you presence!" Slowly he began to move backwards and dematerialised out of the room to leave the two men alone.

"Yes Ianto?"

"Just informing you of everyone's situation." His mind was unable to function properly for the past few hours and just needed to see Jack's smile that never failed to lift his spirits when they were low. "Gwen is currently meeting up with PC Davidson as they are working in union over some missing persons cases. Tosh has gone to revisit the scene of the mauled body that was retrieved in hope of finding any evidence that may have been overlooked first time around. And Owen is about to carry out the autopsy on said victim from last night."

"Is that all?" Jack asked suspecting that there was more to the Welshman's presence.

"Yes sir." He didn't want his lover worrying about him.

"You sure?"

"Coffee?"

"No thanks." He saw Ianto stay rooted where he stood and knew that the younger man was troubled. "Do you have something that you want to share with me?"

"Now? Whilst Owen and Bob are still here?"

"That's not what I meant." Jack stifled his laughter from what could have been a comical moment had the day's mood not been so morbid. He raised his eyebrows sceptically as he knew that the other man would give in and reveal what was truly bothering him, although he already had an extremely positive idea of what it was and his heart broke just thinking about it.

"I should have gone with her." Ianto blurted out from seeing the captain's expression. "Rhiannon said that I needed a break; I should have gone to Spain too." He laughed half heartedly. "I could have been sat on the beach with my sister and her hubby, the kids dripping ice cream all over the place, my skin burning in the hot sun, sand in my…"

"Ianto?" Jack spoke over the ramblings.

"That way I never would have found…"

The captain tried again in a slightly louder voice with a more affectionate name for his lover. "Yantie?"

"Yes Jack?" He fought hard to keep a calm face.

"It's okay to be scared."

"I'm not scared." Ianto's voice trembled with each word as he crumbled from the build up of emotions inside him. He knew there would be no escaping his fate of dying at the Shinigami's choosing. Tears were streaming down the young man's face as he felt Jack's arms pull him close. "I'm absolutely terrified."

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**A/N: My apologies for not posting over the weekend as I was caught up with other things :P **

**On the plus side though, it's less days to wait until the next update ;)**

**KG**


	4. Chapter 4

**Big thanks to: cjh4ever, evilpinkbutterfly101, gaia-x-goddess, bbmcowgirl, and starwefter for leaving reviews :)**

**Chapter Four**

The surgical thread was pulled tightly as Owen began to mend his latest wound. His scalpel had slipped during the autopsy carried out on the mauled corpse and he cursed his stupidity under his nonexistent breath with each stitch he added. Briefly looking up, he sneered at the being floating at the far side of the autopsy bay. "Don't you have anything better to do?"

"Right now? No." A murmur of laughter eased out of the curious Shinigami, his head tilting to the side as he studied the man with his unblinking stare. "How do you manage to defy your death?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Owen snorted sardonically, pulling at another stitch in his finger. Truth was that he too had no idea what kind of force was keeping him the living world either.

"Your existence is wrong."

"Yeah, well so is Jack's!" There was an irritated snappiness to the doctor's tone.

"At least with your _'captain'_ I can see what power it is that makes him immortal."

"Which is?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" The chortle filled the autopsy bay.

Owen pulled the thread firmly on the last stitch in his wound, tied and cut it, then discarded the used equipment to one side before he continued on with the autopsy that he was half way through prior to his injury. He bit back the urge to spurt out a snide remark at the soul taker for again having reminded him of his un-dead like status.

"You're a peculiar one, _Owen Harper_." The Shinigami chuckled. "You claim to not believe in the powers that the Death Note holds, and yet you entered not one, but two names with the intent to kill; the second of them with murderous intentions."

"And the point you're trying to make is?" The young doctor exhaled in a bored manner as he examined a huge wound that looked, - at first glance, - as though it had been caused by a weevil, but in fact was created to mask the true reason for the victim's death.

"No point; just stating, that's all." There was more laughter from the pale lanky figure as it watched the human carry out his work. "Who was the man whose name you wrote down?"

"None of your business."

"Of course it's my business since the book _'technically'_ belongs to me."

Nothing but silence as Owen continued his task.

It was only several minutes of the transfixed toothy grin staring at him before he gave a frustrated heavy sigh. "Call it a mercy killing."

"The man was ill?"

"Depends on how you look at it!" There was a bitterness to Owen's voice in his exclamation. He'd promised Katie, that one day the uncle who had preyed upon her during childhood would be brought to justice. Even though she had died four years previous, he still vowed he would make sure the warped man paid for what he had done to the only woman he had true-heartedly loved. And now, he had.

"Have you checked his death to confirm the power of the Death Note?"

Blood covered hands were held up. "Do I look like I've had the time to do so yet?"

"I'll save you the trouble of verifying it for yourself." A low laughter began to grow as the soul taker struggled to hide his amusement. "He's not dead."

Owen froze from the revelation. He had known that there was only a small possibility that it would work, but had clung to in the hope that it would, masking it with his exaggerated scepticism. It was what he did on a frequent basis; disguising one emotion with another to make himself appear stronger willed to others. Maybe that was what he hated about the Ianto so much, the fact that the Welshman could quite easily remain calm and unruffled during times when he himself could not.

"What's wrong? You look startled." The Shinigami sneered as he watched the human hesitate in front of him.

"So you were bluffing this whole time then? Your book has no power to murder people?"

"Oh, my _'book' _is perfectly capable of murdering people." The toothy grin grew wider. "You just failed to read the rules." He hovered closer towards Owen. "How do you know the man in question?"

"None of your..."

"Business. I know, I know." The soul taker chuckled as he cut across the young doctor's words to finish his repeat comeback from before. "Tell me, have you met this man?"

The answer was blunt. "No."

"Seen a photograph of him?"

"No."

"Do you have any idea of what he looks like?"

"Are you trying to suggest that he doesn't exist?" Owen folded his arms in his attempt to stand off against the cheerful malevolent being, covering the sleeves of his scrubs with blood as he did so. He knew his fiancée wouldn't have lied to him about such a thing and was ready to argue her account if need be.

There was a soft chuckle from the Shinigami. "The rules clearly state that you have to envision the person whose name is written for the death to occur." His laughter grew louder as the surprised look on the man's face told him that the detail had been overlooked. "How can you do that when you have no idea of what they look like?"

Turning away from the looming figure hid Owen's shocked expression as he prodded at the body once more. "I'm kind of busy here Bob, so do us both a favour; bugger off and leave me in peace!" So his attempt hadn't work, it was no big deal. He simply shrugged it off as he still planned to seek justice for Katie some other way.

Disgust bore on the Shinigami's face from both hearing the name he had been labelled with and not receiving any kind of dramatic reaction from the human once learning that his use of the book was invalid. "It's not against the rules to attempt to enter a person more than once in the Death Note." He glided over towards the examination table so that he was now opposite from the young doctor. "All you have to do is find out what this man looks like to be able to try again."

Owen's eyes fixed on the unblinking stare. He'd be lying if he said that he wasn't tempted to use the book again even though he knew it would be the wrong thing to do.

"Is everything alright down there?" The captain's voice sounded from the entrance way at the top of the stairs leading into the autopsy room.

"Yes Jack, everything's just peachy." Owen smirked as he looked up towards his boss, Ianto only just visible behind him.

"Have you found out how this person died yet?" Jack asked as he ignored the Shinigami's presence and continued to go about things as usual.

"Yeah." Although the full examination hadn't been completely performed, Owen was more than confident he had found the cause. "It appears that we have ourselves a stab victim who was butchered up to make it look like a weevil attack."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." Owen nodded as he covered over the body and began to clean himself up. "The lack of teeth indentations and mixture of ripped and neatly cut flesh, all point to a copycat covering their tracks by making it look like their victim had been mauled to death." He carefully scrubbed his hands under running water. "It's no surprise that someone was going to try this sooner or later, the amount of weevil attacks that 'The Echo' is printing nowadays is ridiculous."

"I'll inform Tosh of the findings, and have her hand the case back over to the police since it doesn't involve anything supernatural for us to investigate." Ianto told the captain before he hurried off to fulfil the task.

Jack watched the Welshman leave before his attention was caught by the chortling being down in the autopsy bay. "Is _Bob_ bothering you?"

"He's a complete pain in the arse!" Owen snickered in reply to his captain's question. "Been hanging around here for about the past hour watching me work and annoying the crap out of me with that laughing of his, not to mention the fact that he tried, - and failed miserably, - to tempt me into using the book again."

Jack found himself filled with pride as he glanced down towards the other man. He had been wrong to have had any doubts about him earlier, and was now fully confident that the notebook in his safe would remain there and empty for the rest of days. His team were a lot stronger willed than what the soul taker had assumed.

"Well, it look's like I've outstayed my welcome with you _doctor_, so you'll be glad to see the back of me … for now." The Shinigami chuckled as he took flight up the stairs and continued out into the main hub area in his search for the human owner of the Death Note.

Owen saw the captain's anxious gaze follow the pale being as it left them alone. "Jack?!" He caught the other's attention. "If he does kill Ianto, I want you to know that I'll be right there beside you when you seek revenge." A sad, but extremely grateful smile shone back at him. "Nobody except me picks on the coffee-boy."

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**A/N: Yeah I know it's nearly a week late, but what ya gonna do? :P **

**Seriously, I hate failing to keep up with deadlines that I promise. Things are a little hectic here at the moment as I have three sick children as well as the rest of everyday life to cope with, so I think that's is best I don't make any more promises of when this will next be updated. But rest assure that as long as I receive at least one review per chapter, I will keep continuing this through to the end. ;)**

**KG**


	5. Chapter 5

**A big thank you to all you reviewers, alerters and favouriters out there, and extra special thanks to those of you who have been patient with this fic :) **

**Chapter Five**

_#"Go home, act like you would normally and if Bob follows you, ignore him…"# _

That was the advice Jack had given.

_Easier said then done. _Ianto muttered silently to himself fumbling with the keys to his front door. Doing as his lover had said, he went about his usual routine of returning home after a days work. As he was about to place the keys in the lock, the Shinigami carried straight on through the solid wooden door to materialise in the flat's hallway on the other side._ How rude!_

The first thing that the Welshman did when entering his living space was to remove his shoes, jacket and tie once he had closed the front door. All the while the lanky being watched giving off the amused chuckling drone which caused him more uneasiness over the situation.

Trying not to acknowledge the Shinigami's presence, Ianto proceeded to the kitchen to get something to eat. Even though he had no appetite after learning the things to do with the notebook's discovery, he still continued with his regular routine and took a package from the freezer compartment of the refrigerator. It was the kind of crap that only passed as edible because it was time convenient to prepare in case he faced a day where his job would take up nearly all hours, which happened quite frequently.

"Well aren't you the pathetic lonely bachelor." Came the cackle from the sight of the frozen meal for one.

_#"… He's a wind up artist, don't give to him, just rise above it…"#_

The young Welshman bit back the sardonic urge burning which he felt about wanting to correct the soul taker's statement. He wasn't alone and if his lover didn't insist on being so secretive then he'd shout it out from the rooftops all across the city. He had Jack, and Jack………wasn't there when he needed him most. _Maybe he has a point about being pathetic and lonely?_ Placing his chosen dish inside the microwave he then started the timer. _No, it's just Bob messing with my head, Jack's trying his damn hardest to put an end to all this. _

One of the kitchen cupboards was flung open as Ianto went in search of the packets designed for his small coffee machine. It was microscopic compared to the one back at the hub, but it did its job and made almost decent coffee. _Bollocks!_ He was all out of the packets, which he had meant to restock, - swinging by the shops on his way home, - but that task had taken less of a priority on his current list of things to worry about. _How could my day possibly get any worse?_

The constant hum of the Shinigami's laughter increased in volume has he witnessed the narked expression on the Welshman's face from being forced to resort to drinking nothing but tap water. "Bet you wish you had something stronger?" A huge malevolent toothy grin then crept onto the pale wide eyed face. "Still it won't matter for much longer. Owen was right; you're a boring sod. Keep this act up and you'll be dead before the new day even starts."

_#"… Intimidation from him is going to be your biggest problem, anytime you feel yourself falter, find something to distract you..."#_

Entering into the living room, Ianto went straight up to the midi-system and selected a CD from his row of alphabetically arranged albums. Having some music play in the background would help to focus on something other then his stalker. He placed the disc into the drive and soon the sound of The Manic Street Preachers began to flow out from the speakers: _"Libraries gave us power. Then work came and made us free. What price now, for a shallow piece of dignity?...."_

_PING!_ The microwave sounded. Ianto went to retrieve his meal before seating himself down at the table with his food, if that's what you could call the plastic tray full of mush. His stomach churned just from the sight of it and even though he knew he should eat as it wasn't healthy to skip meals, he just couldn't bring himself to raise any of it up to his lips.

More laughter at the Welshman's expense. "Don't you have anything better to compensate as your final meal?"

_#"… Remain calm at all times, I know you can do that..."#_

The plastic tray hit the kitchen counter hard and sent a spray of food up the pristine white tiles of the wall. Ianto took a deep breath to try and calm his nerves though all he really wanted to do was lash out, hit, kick, scream, whatever would help him to express the distraught felt inside from pussy-footing around the soul taker who could end his life at any moment.

He looked at the mess which had been caused from him throwing the meal and considered wiping it clean._ It doesn't matter. _He told himself and managed to break free from the OCD like urge that had been felt to tidy up. _If I'm going to die shortly then what's the point? _

Still the murmur of laughter continued behind him.

_#"… Relax, don't cause yourself any unnecessary tension..."#_

Ianto entered the bathroom and began running the hot water into the tub. He added more than twice the amount of bubble bath compared to what he usually used and then went to retrieve a towel that was hung on the radiator in the hallway.

When he returned to the room that was now filling with steam, he swiftly closed the door behind him. Satisfied that there was enough water and frothy bubbles for his liking in the tub, he then stopped the supply of water gushing out of the tap. The young Welshman then began to strip off his clothing as he removed his waistcoat and unfastened the buttons of his shirt.

_Please stay on that side until I've managed to conceal myself._ Ianto prayed silently that Bob wouldn't materialise in the room just yet as his trousers and boxers were next to go. It made his skin crawl at the thought of anyone, - or thing, - besides Jack, stood gawking at him in such a vulnerable naked state. Removing his socks he caught a glimpse of the Shinigami as it smoothly came through the door and like a flash, Ianto plunged himself amongst the mountain of bubbles to escape view from the wide eyed, huge grinning and heavily breathing being looming over him.

"Oh _fuck_!" He hissed out loud as he bit down onto his inner lip. All common sense that would have told him the water was far too hot for submerging in just yet had abandoned him before he leapt.

"Too hot for you?" The soul taker chuckled in amusement of the human's foolishness and discomfort.

"No." Ianto winced in response, a coppery taste in his mouth as the almost boiling hot water surrounding his skin caused him to bite down even harder. The pain was excruciating, especially around his more sensitive areas like his groin, but still he refused to give in to the instinct that told him to recoil from the water.

The laughing continued.

_#"… You probably won't be able to escape his presence for more than a few minutes at a time, and if you can't ignore him then make small talk, interrogate him, use that time to your advantage and find out as much information as you can..."#_

A few deep breaths later and the Welshman had become accustomed to the stinging of his lower half, though the slightest movement caused more tingling sensations that brought tears to his eyes. "Why me?" He asked with an almost whimpering voice. "Why does it have to be me?"

"You picked up the Death Note." Bob's thin almost pointy shoulders gave a partial shrug. "That touch grants you ownership, there's no other reason behind it." For once there was a lack of chortling as he contemplated the bathing mortal. Normally when the notebook was found and its properties revealed, the human owner would engross themselves in a killing spree, usually for their own vindictive means. Never had he come across such resistance and concern over the consequences of using or not using it. "Bet you wish that you never found it huh?"

Ianto took only a brief moment to think over his answer. "No, because if I didn't find it then somebody else would have picked it up. If that was the case then you'd never be stopped."

"Is that so?!" The Shinigami's lips curled in disgust and received only silence from his prey. "You keep talking about how you all plan to stop me and the powers of my Death Note, yet none of you have considered the benefits of the new world which anyone of you could create."

"New world?" Generally interested in what had to be said, Ianto shifted his position slightly in the tub so that he now faced the soul taker and winced once more as the uncomfortable sensation returned for a few brief moments.

The drone of faint laughter commenced once more at seeing the human's discomfort. "Surely there are people who you'd like to see removed from society? Those who have wronged you in the past? Dim-witted idiots who increase in numbers whilst the more intelligent dwindle away? Populations that should be culled to prevent over crowding on this planet…?"

"No!" The Welshman shook his head. "That would be wrong on so many levels…"

"But you can't deny that _your_ world would be so much better then this one?" Bob chuckled as he watched the thought being mulled over. He was pretty confident that he'd be able to tempt the will of this weakling.

There was no reply.

_#"… He'll try to lure you into using the Death Note..."#_

"You'd be a god amongst men, worshipped beyond your wildest dreams."

"A dictator who's feared and hated more like."

"Come on; give it a shot, what have you got to lose?" The toothy grin widened and the laughter sounded more maniacal. "I bet you'll have this world reshaped to your liking in no time at all, and with the use of Shinigami eyes it will be so much faster.."

"Shinigami eyes?" Ianto asked nervously as the never faltering gaze came closer to him and stopped just inches from his nose.

"I have the ability to instantly see any humans' true name and their lifespan as though there was a neon sign hovering above their head. It is the power which enables me to easily enter the names of victims into my Death Note without having to acquire that information by other means." There was another chuckle as the lanky being drew back to take in the full startled looking expression displayed before him. "And you can also have that power, as a gift from me to you."

"Yeah?" Ianto's eyebrows rose questioningly. That would be one _extremely,_ handy ability to have and help boost his already enormous background of knowledge by knowing such personal details about anyone he looked at.

"For a price of course…"

"Well it's hardly a gift then." The Welshman spoke dryly.

That amused the soul taker, and it was heard through the booming laugh that filled the small steamy room.

"So, what is the price?" He ventured his interest. _Nobody knows more than I do! _

"Half of what is left of your lifespan."

_#"...Whatever he may offer to entice you into his 'game', the consequences will far outweigh the rewards…"#_

"I'll have a think about it." Ianto stated as he slouched back in the tub, the water now cool enough for it not to cause him any discomfort. He felt that his potential lifespan had already been shortened enough since the day he had first joined Torchwood. "Now if you don't mind, I'd like to finish bathing in peace, please go away."

"And do what?" The Shinigami chuckled at the human who had now gradually become more at ease around him, but still issued orders in the politest manner like he had done back at the hub.

"Go scare someone else for a while?" Was the suggestion made as Ianto gave a shrug and sank even deeper into the water, closing his eyes as he finally began to relax.

"Only a handful of people can see me."

"Not my problem."

Bob grumbled an inaudible complaint as he dematerialised out of the bathroom to leave the Welshman on his own as requested.

_#"…Oh, and Yantie, when this thing is all over with, I promise that the world will finally know."_

"_About us?"_

"_About us."_

"_You'll shout it from the rooftops?"_

"_I'll start with St. David's hotel."#_

With his eyes still closed as he continued to think about Jack, a warm smile spread out across Ianto's face. He was fairly confident that soon he would have everything he could possibly want.

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**A/N: Next update will be April 23 (ish) and from then on it will be back to a regular basis :)**

**KG  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**Big thanks to starwefter for leaving a review :)**

**Chapter Six**

"Aw, I'm not watching Eastenders!" Gwen complained to her husband.

Both of them were snuggled up on the sofa in their flat as they watched television, - and had been for over the past hour, - after filling up on the Welshman's cooking. It was dark outside and the room was dimly lit by the soft glow of a couple of upright lamps to create a cosy atmosphere. It wasn't often that they got the chance to relax like a normal couple and even though what they were doing right now wouldn't seem like most other couples' idea of fun, they were enjoying every moment of being together.

"There's enough doom and gloom in the world already without that programme." Gwen sighed as she tried to keep her work and personal life separate, though she couldn't completely vanquish the thoughts about her colleague's situation, or the missing people's case she had been working on.

"Well there's nothing else on worth watching." Rhys argued in defence as his wife eased herself from his side and he began to flick through the channels to prove his point. "What do you suggest we …… Oh, hang on a sec, I've found a repeat of that documentary about Jordan and Peter Andre."

"I'll wash up and leave you three alone then shall I?" She chuckled at how easily entertained her other half was with the rubbish that TV executives classed as 'good viewing' nowadays. There was an inaudible grunt in reply as she bent down again to kiss his cheek before she trotted off to the kitchen area.

As Gwen ran the hot water into the sink and scraped away the remnants of their meal, her thoughts began to drift slightly as she wondered how her friend was coping. _I can't believe Jack would just assume he'd be okay! Poor Ianto. I would have insisted he stay over, 'if' I knew that Rhys wouldn't kick off about becoming too much involved with work related issues. He's been doing a lot of that lately…_

Lost in her thoughts she failed to notice the absence of the television sound and gave a squeal as a pair of hands found their way around her waistline. Instinctively she twisted around to confront the owner of the hands. "Oh Rhys, you scared the shit out of me!" Her heart was racing double time in her chest. "I thought that you were watching TV?"

His brows were raised cynically as he laughed. "An hour listening to that freaking couple?! Jesus Love, I thought you knew me by now!" He gave his wife a quick peck on the lips. "I was hoping that you might have had other ideas for ways which we could entertain ourselves, but I didn't realise that you were so tense and jumpy." Another swift kiss.

"And just what did you think I had in mind?" Gwen smirked back as she dispelled her previous thoughts. "Or should I ask what did _you_ have in mind?"

"Wait and see." Rhys whispered as his lips met hers, drawing his wife into a long passionate kiss whilst his hands fumbled across the curves of her body.

Their lust for each other grew deeper and stronger as the duration for the kiss seemed to never end. Spontaneous moments like these were somewhat a rarity since she had first joined Torchwood, and both of them relished each second of pleasure that they received from the other as a result of it.

Who knows when the next occasion they'd be able to snatch the free time together would be? And even though the fate of one of her friends ate away at her conscience as she engrossed in the sexual foreplay with her husband, this was their moment, and Gwen felt the need to be selfish.

It was currently being proven by the discovery of the notebook that life was too short for living, and each moment should be treated like the last. If Ianto was alone and unhappy because Jack had decided not to spend time with him, - during what could be his last hours alive, - well quite frankly, it was nothing to do with her. Or Rhys. Why should he also be made to suffer? Hadn't he already been through enough because of Torchwood? Because of Jack?

A pile of plates crashed into the sink, - less washing up to do, - as Gwen found herself forced up onto the surface of the kitchen counter. She groped frantically at her husband's clothing hungry for the flesh that it concealed underneath.

Suddenly she felt that hunger disappear and froze at hearing the perverted chuckling and heavy breathing of the Shinigami stood watching them from the far side of their living space.

"Rhys Love, get off me!" She pushed him away and readjusted her clothing.

"What's going on Gwen?" There was a slight hint of panic in his voice as the events of several months back, - when his 'then fiancée' had lost her memory with regards to who he was, - began to resurface in his mind. "You're not having another one of those funny turns are you?"

"No, no, I'm fine it's just …" She stopped herself from saying any more as Rhys had been getting quite annoyed with her recently, for not leaving her Torchwood business back at the hub and instead letting it work its way between them.

Another bout of laughter. "Oh don't stop now, things were just getting interesting."

"You bloody pervert!" Gwen snarled ferociously to what seemed like an empty space to her husband.

"There's nothing there Love. Are you sure you're feeling alright?"

"Yes Rhys I am fine!"

"Well if you're going to get all fucking snappy about it then I'll piss off down to the pub shall I?" He shouted back at her after she had just raised her voice at him.

More laughter from the amused soul taker. "This is far better than any soap opera."

There was no response from the husband or wife as they battled internally to keep their frustrations with each other under control and to themselves. All they seemed to do lately was argue.

Finally Rhys broke the silence. "Has it got something to do with work?" He received a small nod from his wife. "Fucking, bloody, Torchwood!" Turning away from Gwen, leaving her on the kitchen counter, he walked back into the lounge area.

"Ooo, seems like your hubby isn't very pleased." He looked across to where Rhys had returned to sit on the sofa with his head in his hands. "Gone off to sulk has he?"

"Why are you here?" She demanded an explanation from the Shinigami.

The lanky being shrugged his huge bony shoulders. "Boredom."

_Ianto!_ Gwen's mind filled with worry for the wellbeing of her friend. "You haven't, not Ianto." She shook her head and felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes from the thought of his death. "Have you?"

"No, not yet." The soul taker admitted. "The office-boy instructed me to leave him alone for a while, and unfortunately I'm obligated to do as the owner of the Death Note commands." A slightly suppressed chuckle. "He thinks that I'm actually following out his pathetic, polite, requests when in fact I can not refuse to do so."

"Obligated?" Gwen laughed. "You mean like master and slave?" She got no response, not even a titter of any kind, just a fixed stare. "Oh, just wait until the others find out about that fact you just let slip. You just expressed a weak point which will bring your downfall…"

"I don't think so, because if you tell any one of them, I'll end his life quicker than you can draw breath." The chuckling returned. "How well can you hold your tongue Gwen Cooper?"

"You bastard! You knew I'd want to tell Ianto that he has complete control over your presence around him, and so you conned me into being unable to tell him myself for your own amusement. I'll admit that it's going to be a difficult task to keep quiet, but how will you know if I tell anyone else or not?"

"Oh, I'll hear if any of those words leave your mouth…"

"You can focus and listen in on peoples' speech even when you're not around?"

"Only a single person at any one time, and guess who I choose?"

"So you singled me out as the only person you can eavesdrop on!" Gwen raised her hands in the air in frustration. "I'm up shit creek without a paddle!"

Highly amused, the Shinigami let out a hearty chortle. Humans were funny with their ridiculous sayings and metaphors.

"Gwen, stop talking to yourself and come sit down here!"

She did as her husband had asked and sat beside him on the sofa.

Rhys sat up straight once more as he lifted his head from his hands. "Okay Love, this is your one and only chance to tell me what's going on here."

"I can't." She whined knowing that if she was to tell him then the soul taker may take the life of her friend.

"Sure you can, you just can't tell him about my obligations or ask him to pass the message on about them."

Gwen took a deep breath as the man she adored continued to stare at her questioningly and waiting for answers of any kind. "Ianto found this notebook on his way to work and it has the power to kill people just by writing their name on the pages…"

"No way!" Rhys gasped with a slight smile on his lips. "That is so cool!"

The Shinigami roared with laughter. "If only this guy had picked it up I'd be having so much fun right about now!"

"No Rhys, it's not cool!"

"Aw, come on Gwen, are you telling me that you wouldn't enter anyone's name in there."

"Absolutely not!"

"I would."

"Who?"

"Well I'd start with those three good-looking guys that you work with. Can't have them as a temptation to lure you away from me for more than just work issues…" He saw the completely horrified look on her face. "I'm just kidding Love; of course I wouldn't do such a thing. But what has this got to do with you rabbiting on to yourself?"

"Well whoever touches the book can then see this being, - this god of death, - called a Shinigami. Jack's nicknamed him Bob…"

"Yeah, he didn't need to know that part." Bob sneered in disgust.

"… and it just so happens that he's here right now. Watching our every move, which is why I stopped you back in the kitchen."

"Ah, makes sense now." Rhys nodded his understanding. "Didn't want us having sex with an audience." He raised his voice to shout at the soul taker. "Piss off Bob, you're not welcome here!"

"Piss off yourself!" He smirked in reply.

"Did it work? Has he gone?"

She shook her head. "No, he's still here."

"Oh well." The Welshman sighed as he slouched back on the sofa. "Good thing that there's more to life then just sex." Using the remote, he flicked the television back on to watch the documentary about the celebrity couple. "Come on Love, let's just snuggle up for the rest of the night."

Gwen lay down so that her head rest on her husband's lap as he wrapped his arm around her and together they watched the mindless programme.

"You guys are even more boring than the office-boy." Bob sneered after almost ten minutes of boredom. "I think I'll pay the Japanese girl a visit." He left the couple alone for the night as he materialise out of their flat.

Five minutes later Rhys asked, "Has he gone yet?" He felt his wife nod where she lay. "Good." He flicked off the TV and reached for his mobile phone which he passed to her. "Enter Ianto's number in there and I'll make sure he gets his message."

A huge smile spread across Gwen's face. Rhys may not appreciate her talking about Torchwood's latest problems on a daily basis, but at least he listened to everything she had to say and had deciphered her current dilemma from the one-side conversation he had overheard a few moments. She pushed herself up to plant a kiss on his lips. "That's just one of the reasons why I love you Rhys Williams."

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**A/N: Well this chapter is slightly different from what I had intended, the main difference being that I had originally written Rhys for comedy value, but he ended up being useful instead.**

**KG  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**Big thanks to: starwefter, and gaia-x-goddess for leaving reviews :)**

**Chapter Seven**

Images of all the missing people that Gwen had asked Toshiko to help investigate were displayed on the screen of her laptop as she did just that. She sat in near darkness at the dinning table and checked back over the details of each one, hoping to pick up on something which she might have missed the first few times around.

So far she had found nothing new, but continued to check, - and double check checked, - through them regardless. This way she was kept busy, felt useful and her mind didn't stray away into the worrying thoughts about what had happened so far that day…

Like how she had been the first person Ianto had turned to with his find and the way she felt when her computer search confirmed the writings in the Death Note. How carelessly the sceptical Owen had written within the pages and joked about entering one of their names. The appearance of the Shinigami who, until that point, she'd believed had been nothing more than a fable that her parents had used to entertain and scare her as a child. And of course there was the way which Jack had instructed them all to go about things as normal whilst the Welshman's life was at stake.

Toshiko's eyes ached from staring at the screen for so long. She removed her glasses to be able to massage her eye sockets underneath and now became aware that she really should stop to take a break. Five hours of extra non-stop work wasn't healthy, especially sitting in the dark, so she got up to stretch her legs, switched on the light and then gave a startled cry as the soul taker appeared out of nowhere.

"Geez, you almost gave me a heart attack!" She exclaimed with a hand pushed tightly against her chest. Her actions caused the Shinigami to chuckle. "Is there a reason behind this unexpected house call?"

"Meh!" Huge bony shoulders shrugged. "Just thought I'd drop by."

"Right." Toshiko replied unsurely, drawing the word out while she mulled over the fact that he wasn't being completely honest with her, but of course she wouldn't make it known outside of her mind. She forced a smile. "Well if you'll excuse me, I have some work to continue with." Having that 'break' easily dropped from her mind as she chose to remain veiled by her workaholic exterior around the soul taker and returned to the laptop on the table.

The transfixed gawking face loomed over her shoulder as she scrolled down the sea of faces. "Wouldn't bother trying to find him, or him, or her." A long pale finger pointed to the missing people on the screen.

"Why not?"

"It would just be a wasted effort on your part, seeing as they're dead."

"You can tell just by looking at them?!" Toshiko gasped as she looked up at the lanky being behind her before her eyes then narrowed inquisitively. "Was it you who …?"

"No! No, no, no, I didn't kill them. Honest truth I didn't." The Shinigami insisted his innocence.

"Then why would you tell me such a thing in the first place?"

For a moment there was silence and the pale white face turned ever so slightly, - only noticeable if you squinted really hard, - off coloured pink as his answer was mumbled. "I like you Toshiko Sato. You're not as judgemental as those other _humans_ you work with and haven't once referred to me as the demeaning 'Bob'. You evaluate as much evidence as you possibly can before drawing any kind of conclusion and don't let yourself be influenced by one fact, even when steered by the feelings held in your heart."

"It's something I've learnt the hard way, on several previous non-successful occasions." She spoke sadly as memories of her mother, Mary and Tommy, to name but a few, started to seep back into the front of her mind. And then there was Owen. If only she'd had more confidence, - or self control, she wasn't sure which would have been best, - then he wouldn't have found out about her feelings for him now that he considered it too late. But to her, as long as he was around then it was never too late.

"Plus you gave me an apple."

The remark brought a genuine smile to Toshiko's face. "You really like them that much?"

"Uh-huh, they're how do you say…… juicy?"

"I've got a whole bowlful over there." She pointed towards where it sat on the room-dividing bar. "Feel free to help yourself."

With a joyful exclamation the Shinigami did just that and began to devour its entire contents, cores and all.

"Besides from the fact that you're intent on taking the life of one of my friends, you're not what I would have imagined when compared to the fear striking tales told to me in my youth."

"Thanks, I guess." The last of the apples was placed into the gaping toothy mouth.

"You know, I prayed to your kind in the past, when I had been at my lowest." Toshiko's mind flashed back to the small cell she had once been imprisoned in. "As silly as it may sound, I had hoped that one of you would answer my call and free me by ending my life. But they remained unanswered." There was a faint smile of fondness as she remembered being seated across from the then strange greatcoated man as he bargained with her. "That was when Jack saved me, he gave me my life back…"

For the first time since just shortly after his arrival, the soul taker laughed as his head was thrown backwards to the point were it was quite possible that it could snap, and a tremendous roar erupted from within. "Oh you poor foolish girl, he gave you nothing and took everything!"

The sudden outburst took her slightly by surprise and it showed with her startled features.

"Your life became his the very moment that you agreed to work for him…"

"No, five years was all he wanted. I've done that, I'm free to leave whenever I please."

"Then why haven't you?"

There were several reasons, starting with her love for Owen. She wouldn't leave him like he was, that wasn't the way which she wanted to remember him once their ways parted. The friendships that had been built with Gwen and Ianto. Neither of them had been easy starts, but given the due time that had been needed, they had grown and bonded well. The confidant she had with the captain who had been there for her after both Mary and Tommy, and whom she had been there for after he'd left behind the doomed man of the Second World War. And then there was Torchwood itself. She loved her job and the many challenges it threw her way, - even if they were life threatening, - she just couldn't imagine herself doing anything different from then on.

"Are you willing to spend the rest of your days protecting _him_, the man who can never truly die?" There was no reply to his question as she continued to look bewildered. "It doesn't have to be that way, you can defy the future that would otherwise be in store for you and get out now."

"Defy the future?"

Now the soul taker knew he had said too much. He liked this woman who had treated him differently when compared to the others, and was willing to share the information which would allow her to alter events there by extend the short remaining lifespan that she had left. Gracefully he hovered back towards the Japanese woman and raised a hand over her head. "I'm doing this as a gift, because I like you. Whatever you decide to do after that is up to you."

The Shinigami's bony hand came down to rest on the top of Toshiko's head and everything around her turned blurry both visually and audibly. She was aware that she was in the hub, okay it seemed like a murky goldfish bowl right now, but still there was no mistaking those computer terminals as those of the hub…

_Fingers of her right hand, - was her left hand injured? - danced across one of the keyboards as she spoke via the comms. Owen? It was hard to make out. She then leapt across to the other terminal and picked up the hand held. _

_There was a gunshot sound and she gasped as a pain ran through her midsection where she had been shot. Looking for the shooter, she saw a shadowy figure advance on her as she applied as much pressure as she possibly could to her wound, before falling to the ground. She felt her lips move, pleading for help, but was uncertain to whether or not they had released a sound._

_The figure began taunting her. Jack? No, but definitely his accent. One by one her high-tech systems were disconnected and the handheld thrown out of her reach as a face now stared at her, confirmation that indeed this wasn't her captain but a far younger man. His features were hard to focus on but the huge scar on his right jaw-line and neck clearly stood out._

_There was more taunting that ceased when hearing a loud banging noise which filled and echoed throughout the hub. Her attacker left her there bleeding, and with great effort she forced herself to retrieve the handheld which had fallen down into the medical bay. Excruciating pain raged through her with each step of the stairwell she decent and soon was at the bottom though it felt like an eternity._

_Reunited with her contraption, she continued with her task before then finding the closest painkillers at hand and administered them, whilst she lying to the person, - Owen, yes it was definitely Owen, - on the other end of her comm link as she insisted that she was okay._

_She sat, fully aware that she was slowly bleeding to death as she helped instruct him through the power plant meltdown. What had caused it to go into meltdown? Why was Owen there?_

_Something had gone wrong and she ordered him to get out before it was too late. But the warning she had given him was too late itself as he relayed back the news before screaming in a frightened rage. _

_Tears rolled down her face as she begged him to stop and then once he had calmed, they conversed during his final moments._

_Her hope and the will to live seemed to die at that instant, and her vision became darker as the cold numbing sensation which proceeded on from her pain began to drag her away into the beyond. _

_Another dark figure, - Jack, there was no mistaking the flapping folds of his greatcoat, - raced to her side, calling for help. She felt him cradle her in his arms and one more shadow, - female, Gwen, - joined them, along with a voice, - Ianto? - whose owner she could not see. _

_With one final breath she explained what had happened to Owen whilst starring up at the saddened looking captain. She never had got to thank him properly for saving her all those years ago, and now would also be the only chance she got to thank him for soothing her fear of departing from the world. Her mouth parted slightly, but before she had even started to form her words, the darkness had taken over and snatched her from the only arms she had ever felt wholeheartedly safe in…_

The vision cleared. It was over but still images and sensations remained to haunt Toshiko about what she had just witnessed. Breathing heavily with free flowing tears, she glanced around for the Shinigami, only to find that she was completely alone.

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**Would you guys following this fic like the conclusion of the story in two parts or as one long chapter?**

**KG  
**


	8. Chapter 8

**Big thanks to: melissa Ivory, starwefter, and gaia-x-goddess for leaving reviews :)**

**Chapter Eight**

Ianto returned to work the next morning closely followed by his chuckling stalker but with a new-found confident feeling that his nightmare would all be over with shortly. He stood there in silence, briefcase in hand, as the pair of them rode the elevator down from the secret passageway concealed at the rear of the tourist information centre.

"I'm glad you're deciding to play along after all." The Shinigami chortled. "It makes far more entertainment which guarantees your survival in this world that little bit longer."

"Yes, well, after some long hard thinking last night, it makes perfect sense to kowtow." The Welshman replied feebly. "My way would indeed benefit society, and since my time here at Torchwood is going to be short lived, I might as well make use of the opportunity whilst I can."

"How long do you think you will be able to hide your doings from the rest of your team?"

"Until my own end comes." Silently he preyed that none of them would ever find out about his secret. "But for me to regain the Death Note from Jack's office, I'm going to need you to distract him for a while. Can you do that for me?" He already knew that the soul taker would have to obey his command, but to uncharacteristically order him to do so would only draw suspicion from what he had learnt from Rhys' informative call.

Surprisingly, Bob hadn't even questioned the strange request, - a tester to confirm what he had been told on the phone was true, - made by him once he had returned from his visits to the other team members. Did he really seem like the kind of guy who would face off against Weevils but be terrified by a group of Hoodies hanging around outside of his flat at night? His lanky stalker had thought so and in response to the pathetically requested order, - which he was now aware had to be followed through, - had stuck his grinning face through the walls to glance outside on the blind-spot wall of the apartment.

There was a booming laugh as the elevator came to a standstill. "Are you ever gonna grow any balls?" Bob watched as the human ignored the remark, exited the shaft and shuffled away towards the huge cog-like door. "Yeah, of course I will, no need to delay your world reshaping any longer."

"Good." Ianto took a deep breath and proceeded to enter into the hub. "Okay here we go."

He knew for a fact that only Jack would be there at this time in the morning, Toshiko and Gwen would usually arrived for work shortly after himself, and Owen strolled in whenever the hell he felt like it. So he was greatly surprised to hear the young doctor's muffled voice conversing with the captain's equally muffled voice down in the autopsy bay.

The Shinigami stuck to the plan and floated off to cause the two men some aggravation, while the Welshman swiftly headed for the destination of Jack's office. Once there he approached the desk and set his briefcase down on its surface. The next part of his plan had been to open the safe and remove the notebook which he had watched placed in there the previous day but this was not going to happen; quite simply because there it was in full view on the desk in front of him.

_Why would he have taken it out again? _Ianto hesitated for a moment before reaching down to pry open the cover. _Surely he hasn't considered or been using this thing himself?_ He knew Jack well, even more than any of the others did, and was shocked at the thought that his lover would do such a thing. _I'm sure he'd say the same thing about me. _He gave an ironic inward smirk and sigh of relief at seeing the pages inside were blank and that no names had been entered. _Does he really trust us all that much to leave such a potentially dangerous item lying around?_

"Ianto?"

He froze at hearing Gwen's voice in the doorway behind him. Luckily he blocked her view so she could not see what he was doing. Closing the book and placing it inside his briefcase he then turned to face her, adding a smile to perfect the illusion of innocent conduct. "Morning Gwen."

"Morning." She beamed back at him whilst removing a set of earphones that were attached to the i-pod she'd been listening to on her way to work. "Haven't seen Jack around have you?"

"Looking for him myself actually." He lied taking hold of his briefcase again. "I've got a couple of things to tell him."

"How are you this morning Ianto sweetheart?"

"Fine thanks, what Rhys had to say last night was an enormous help." He received a 'glad to hear' kind of smile, aware that she had to be careful of the speech that left her mouth since Bob was monitoring her every word like he had been told by her husband. "Coffee?"

"Oh yes please, extra strong to give me a kick into the world of the living." Gwen laughed as she and Ianto left the office.

"That's not funny Cooper!" Owen sneered as he approached them both, Jack by his side clutching at a file full of paperwork and Bob hovering behind them with his ever transfixed toothy grinning glare and droned laughing.

"Good morning you two." The captain smiled at the startled looking faces; Gwen checking her watch as she mocked the medic's earliness and the Welshman easing further away from them.

"I'm just about to make some drinks…"

"What's in the case?" Jack asked curiously as he watched the younger man move across the hub. "It's not like you to carry one around."

"Nothing, it's nothing."

"Which means he's hiding something." The young doctor hit the obvious nail right on the head. "Probably taken home a huge heap of case reports to file and keep himself occupied…"

"No, he doesn't give into temptation or remove things from the hub which he's not supposed to." The captain sent both Owen and Gwen looks that boarded on the disapproving glares they had received when found sneaking out items themselves in the past. Clutching the bulging brown-carded file to his chest, he took several strides closer towards the escaping man. "Show me, what's in the case?"

Ianto began to feel nervous as he gulped back the lump forming in his throat. He had planned to write in the book's page once he was on his own and hadn't considered being confronted over the situation, especially by his lover.

"Look's like it's time to come clean office-boy."

The Shinigami's amused taunt meant that he had no other choice but to proceed and reveal his plan. Carefully he opened the briefcase which he then discarded to the floor after he removed the Death Note from it. He held it tightly in both hands in front of him as though it was some kind of shield.

"You took that from off my desk." Jack raised his eyebrows. "Why Ianto?"

"Because I plan on using it."

"My god, you can't be serious?!" Gwen exclaimed.

"I'm _deadly_ serious." The Welshman's words were followed by the soul taker's laughter at seeing the three shocked faces of his colleagues who clearly hadn't expected him to cave like this.

The captain shook his head. "I know you must only have good intentions of using it, you're not a merciless killer, but nothing good will come from that book." As he stepped closer still, there was no disappointment or anger present in his eyes or voice, only concern for the lover he desperately wanted to save. "We'll beat him somehow…"

"It's not about beating him." Ianto was aware that Jack was trying to talk him out of using the notebook and would most likely succeed if allowed to continue. He had to create a veil for his true intentions and couldn't back down now, not if he wanted to live. "It's about saving the world by cleansing and re-shaping it."

"Ianto mate, do you have any idea how self-righteous you're sounding?" That was Owen trying to help but his words were almost completely drowned out by the Shinigami's laughter.

"It _can_ make something good, and I'll prove it!" The Welshman fumbled for a pen in the inside of his jacket pocket. "Let's start with this country's legal system, I'll put that right."

"With the Death Note?" Gwen's face was crinkled with a confused look.

"We live in a country that is not afraid to lock up the elderly and poor for non-payment of taxes, yet many serious cases are allowed to remain on the streets. Not paying your bills will earn you what, say twelve months? But something unforgivable like rape, murder, crimes against children, they can result in only a handful of years worth of punishment, and many cases can apply for and succeed in early release after serving just a few months! Where's the justice?" He clicked the ballpoint into action. "Just think how much better the world would be without all that scum."

"No Ianto, I hear what you're saying but this is not the way to go about it…" The captain's further pleas were too late as the Death Note was opened and the writing commenced.

He'd only written one name and then the book was shut tight, bulging slightly as the pen seemed to be trapped within the pages. "I'm sorry it had to be like this."

Bob's laughter rang out and echoed throughout the hub. "Look's like those balls have finally grown!"

"Not cool!" Owen commented.

"What have you done?" Gwen gasped.

"Relax guys, he hasn't done anything, that book's a fake." Jack assured and a hand reached into his file full of paperwork. "The real one is right here!" He held up the actual Death Note for all to see, a smug triumphant look in his eyes as his lips were tugged up and backwards. "I thought you knew me Ianto? I would never leave such an item lying around where anyone could…...."

Managing to keep a firm hold on the black notebook, the file of paperwork was dropped to the floor and scattered everywhere as Jack clutched at his chest. His heart was hurting, straining to keep the blood pumping around his body. "Yantie?"

"I'm so sorry." Ianto whined as his face scrunched up and tears fell at the sight of seeing his lover die from the heart attack he had induced.

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**A/N: Okay, next chapter, being the conclusion, will be the longest. **

**I hope this fic isn't disappointing anyone.  
**

**KG**


	9. Chapter 9

**Big thanks to gaia-x-goddess and starwefter for leaving reviews, and to everybody who has added this story to their fav/alert lists :)**

**Chapter Nine**

"_JACK!!_" Gwen's scream filled the hub at seeing his lifeless body hit the ground. Her eyes diverted from the captain and landed on the Welshman. "How could you do that to him Ianto? You…!" She was about to dart forward when a hand gripping her arm stopped her from doing so.

"No, wait." Owen instructed and relaxed his hold as she complied. "Something's not quite as it seems. For a start, Bob's not laughing any more."

_Please forgive me Jack. _Tears continued to stream down Ianto's face at what he had done but knew that he had no other choice but to do so.

"You lied to me office-boy." The Shinigami hovered closer towards the man who had just murdered the other, all laughter had ceased the moment the captain's heart attack had commenced. "Everything you told me last night, similar to what you told them just a moment ago, about how you had decided to re-shape the world, it was all an act! You and 'Jack' were in this together…"

"He was completely in the dark." The crying stopped and Ianto stared directly into the gawking face; a sign that although he was scared, he wasn't easily pushed around and manipulated. "It was all my doing, _Bob_."

There was a disgusted sneer from the soul taker. "How did you know that entering his name would render the Death Note unusable from then on?"

"I walked in on you telling him that his aura could rival the power of the book." He saw a look of surprise on Bob's face from having remembered the conversation he had interrupted when entering the office the previous day. "And when two powers like that collide, they're guaranteed to neutralise each other." His view travelled back towards Jack's lifeless body and quietly he mumbled. "Destroying the Death Note came at a price, but it was worth it. This way nobody else will ever have the chance of using it."

There was soft laughter from the Shinigami. "That was one hell of a price you paid, just to get the one up on me, but I can get another book to replace the one you ruined." He eyed the Welshman more closely. "How did you manage to convince him that he had the real deal when it was in your possession all along?"

"I have stealthy fingers." Still clutching the notebook in his hand Ianto continued to stare at the motionless body, waiting for his lover to awaken, believing that if he could survive against Abaddon then he would overcome this also. And if he was wrong? No doubt they'd be reunited together, - in death, - again shortly.

"The old switch-a-rooney trick eh?" Bob chuckled. "Well as much as you've entertained me _office-boy_, I'm still gonna take your soul as payment for the damage you've done to the 'human-use' Death Note." He pulled out the notebook strapped to his side and chortled. "No hard feelings."

Casually the soul taker's Death Note was opened and there on the page staring up at him at him was the single Welsh word, 'Gwên' followed by a ':P'. His eyes angrily flashed back to the Welshman. "You!"

"Told you I had stealthy fingers." Ianto failed to stop himself from smirking and dropped the notebook he had taken from the desktop in his lover's office to reveal the battered-looking book belonging to the Shinigami which had been concealed inside it. He had taken it last night after ordering the being to spy on the Hoodies outside his flat and had since hid it inside the briefcase in order to carry through the act which provided two completely different outlooks for his motives to either side. "You really shouldn't leave your behind exposed, that's one of the first things I learnt from Jack."

"Very clever, even I didn't see that one coming." Bob sneered. "You went straight for the head of the problem but failed to eradicate it."

"Did I though?"

"All you achieved was stopping me from using my own Death Note to extend my life, but I'll still kill you using the other."

It was the Welshman's turn to laugh. "Better hurry up then, 'cause as soon as Jack wakes up…well, I'm sure you know what'll happen." A smug triumphant grin plastered his face. "And I assure you, he _will _wake up again."

Indeed the Shinigami was aware that as soon as the immortal human drew breath again it would mean that the power of his personal notebook would not have been neutralise but surpassed, and his own existence would come to an end as a result of it. "I'm taking you down with me!" He roared threateningly and spun around to retrieve the other Death Note from the captain's cold hand only to see Owen sprinting away across the hub with it. "Give me that book!!"

With the Death Note held tightly under his arm, the young doctor ran as quickly as his legs would allow, aware that the pale lanky being was in flight right behind and almost on top of him.

For a moment Ianto watched Bob chase his un-dead colleague before he then rushed to Jack's side. "Wake up." He muttered as he knelt down beside the lifeless form.

"Catch Gwen!" With no other choice now that the bony fingers brushed against his clothing, Owen used all his might and threw the book at her just before he was knocked to one side by the furious soul taker.

She caught it and although she wanted to check on the fragile doctor's condition from the tumble he'd taken, Gwen turned to exit the hub in an attempt to get the Death Note as far from the Shinigami as she possibly could. Ianto's life depended on her from keeping it out of Bob's reach, but the circular door took too long to roll to one side and she felt the book yanked upwards.

"Please wake up." The Welshman whispered as he leant closer to the head now cradled in his arms and placed his lips on the captain's.

"Let go!" The order was screamed in an enraged snarl. "Otherwise when I pry this book from you, I'm going to enter both yours and that idiot husband's names right after the office-boy's!"

"Over my dead body!" There was no way Gwen was going to give up the Death Note without a fight as she clung onto it, even when she felt herself lifted up from the ground as the soul taker spread his wings to fly up higher in the space beside the water tower.

"That can be arranged!" A huge leathery foot struck her hard and the pain caused her to release the hold she had been fighting to maintain, her arms and legs flailing as she fell and hit the ground with an almighty thud.

"Gwen!" Owen, - who had escaped injury from his fall, - was quick to rush to her side after hearing her cry out upon impact with the concrete floor.

A thunderous cackle filled the hub as the Death Note was opened. "You humans are such pathetic creatures." From out of nowhere a twisted looking pen materialised in Bob's hand and he began to write his short list of names.

There was a rush of air drawn into Jack's lungs as he gasped and broke free from his lover's kiss. His eyes displayed the shaken sensation he felt and searched for explanations. "Yantie?" He never got his answer though as both of their views were then snagged in the direction of the Shinigami's scream.

"_Nooo!!_" The flying form of the soul taker howled as it disintegrated into nothingness along with the battered book which the captain's name had been entered in. Gravity claimed the notebook which he had been holding and it landed beside Gwen and Owen.

The screaming stopped and there was a brief moment of silence before it was vanquished by whimpering. "Gwen?!" Both men hurried back up on to their feet and raced towards the other two team members.

"Oh god, what happened? Are you both okay?" Ianto asked shakily as he watched Owen help Gwen to stand up, supporting her weight as she struggled to be able to do it on her own.

"Yeah, there doesn't seem to be anything broken between either of us." The doctor assured and the woman unexpectedly leapt from his side as she flung herself at the Welshman and sobbed her relief while hugging him tightly.

"Hey, don't I get one of those too?" Jack laughed. "Obviously not." He sighed as he still remained on his own watching the tight embrace.

"I guess that's one of the downsides to being immortal; no-one really worries 'too much' about you since your survival chances are always guaranteed." Owen told his captain as he bent down to pick up the fallen Death Note. He opened the pages to find what the Shinigami had written and turned towards Ianto. "Oi, if you didn't already need a change of underwear, you will once you've seen this, check out Bob's handwriting."

The book was held open to display, '_Ianto Jone_', and a faint mark were he had started to write the _S_ but hadn't had time to complete before he was destroyed.

"Shit, that was close!" The Welshman gasped as he eased Gwen away from him and she winced at the discomfort in her side.

"Owen, I want you to thoroughly check her over…"

"I'm fine Jack."

"No you're not." He told her as she argued with him and then ordered the young doctor to get a move on.

"Aye-aye boss." Owen used the black book in his hand to carry out the mocking salute.

"I'll take that." Jack snatched the Death Note from the other man. "Ianto, my office, now."

All four of them gradually moved off towards their destinations. The captain watched the two colleagues descend down into the medical bay before he followed on behind the Welshman into his office. He made sure that the door was closed and then turned on his lover. "I want explanations and I want them now."

Ianto fidgeted slightly as he watched the notebook slammed down on the desk. He'd been mentally preparing himself for this moment but still he was nervous as he looked back into the displeased look he received from those deep blue eyes. "I'm s-sorry, b-but it was the only way to defeat Bob. It was immensely hard for me to write your name in the Death Note…"

"But you did."

"I know." He shamefully looked away. "I was scared, my life was on the line, and I figured out that entering your name would cancel out the book's effects and destroy him once you awoke…"

"Forget about that Yantie, I don't blame you for anything." Jack assured as he sensed the uneasiness the younger man had. "But I would like to know how you were able to write my name, - my true name, - inside those pages? I've shared a lot of things and personal information with you, but I know for a fact that my _name_ hasn't been one of them."

There was a lump forming at the back of the Welshman's throat and he gulped it back as he looked up at his lover. "Y-you have a tendency to talk in your sleep."

"No I don't."

"You do." Ianto nodded. "Most of the time you're shouting for Gray, about how much you love him, how you're sorry and that you'll find him again one day." He witnessed a startled looking expression from having made the revelation.

Jack was speechless, what was he supposed to say now? He had no idea that he sleep-talked and was easily unsettled to learn that he had a loose tongue during the vulnerable state of semi-consciousness. He'd quit his alcohol consumption to stop such a trait and although sleep wasn't always necessary for him, he still couldn't avoid it altogether. How much and what else had he said that he wasn't aware of? Thankfully it was only the Welshman who would know the facts, - he knew they would go no further, - but still they were secrets that he didn't want to share, not even with his lover.

"If you ever want to talk about him, I'll listen." Ianto offered to lend an ear to hear the older man's woes. "You now know everything that ever was between me and Lisa. When John turned up I handled the spark of jealousy, and since you sent him packing again I realise that there's nothing to be envious about your exes. Gray seems to be one of the more memorable ones to you …"

"No, really, it's not like that." Jack gave an extremely faint heart-hearted laugh at just how wrong the other man had gotten it. If he hadn't laughed at his lover's misunderstanding then he would only have wept for the lost brother instead.

"Then what is it like?"

Their eyes met again. "I can't tell you." The captain whined and then struggled to stop his mouth from silently flapping as he searched for the right way to word his explanation so that it would be least likely to cause offence. "I'm not ready to share that part of myself with you just yet."

"Of course, I completely understand." The Welshman forced a smile to cover his disappointment of not being confided in, and the bitter feelings he had about the fact that secrets were still kept from him. At least now he didn't have to feel so guilty about the secret which he was keeping.

"Do you wanna do the honours of writing my name inside this thing so that we can destroy it too?" Jack held up the book which had started their troubles the previous day and watched as his lover was about to argue that murdering him once had been a difficult enough task. "Well in that case, I guess it's to be locked away for the rest of time." He crossed over to the containment unit and placed the Death Note inside.

Looking through the office windows, Ianto saw the huge door roll open to the side and the female colleague walk in. "Tosh!" His mouth gapped in shock of the sight he saw.

"Oh, is she here? Just wait until she finds out that she's missed all of the action." The captain chuckled to himself as he reset the safe lock and then hurried out of his office. "Hey girl, where've you been? It's not like you to be late …" His voice trailed off at seeing the inconsolable woman. "Tosh? Tosh what's wrong?"

"It's Bob." She replied shakily through her tears that seemed to refuse to dry. "Last night he came to my apartment and…" There was another wave of sobs.

"And what?" The Welshman asked nervously with the build-up of guilt for having ordered the Shinigami to pester someone else during his bathing time.

"He showed me my death."

"Bob's gone now so whatever it was that you saw, you take no notice of it." Jack instructed as he gave her the handkerchief from his pocket.

"But it was so real." Toshiko stated before blowing her nose. She let herself be steered by the two men over to the tattered thread-baring settee and sat down. "The sights, the sounds, the feelings, - emotionally and physically, - everything!"

"It was just a trick, like Bilis, remember what he did?"

"No Jack, this was so much more…"

"I'm going to make some drinks." Ianto scurried off in the direction of his coffee machine.

The distraught woman dried her tears and blew her nose again. "Just what exactly did you see?" Jack asked her.

"I was here. Working. When do I ever stop working?" She gave a smirk that sent another tear to sliver down her cheek. "That's when he attacked." Her eyes glazed as though lost in a trance.

"Who?" The captain pushed for further answers. "What did he do?"

"I don't know who he is." Toshiko replied as she shook her head. "He's young, American, not dressed like anyone from this time period, and has a huge scar on the right side of his face." A hand indicated the area on her own jaw. "He shot me." Her other hand now rested on her abdomen. "Right here."

Jack made a mental note to keep an eye out for anyone fitting the description. That way, if this was true, then he would stop it from happening. Oh how the Doctor would disapprove of his actions, but he wasn't just going to stand by and watch it come about.

"I was bleeding to death." The account continued. "Scared. Alone. In pain. But then you came and made it all stop." She smiled at the man who had saved her so many times. Knowing that she would never get the chance to say otherwise, she took his hand and squeezed it tightly as she now told him, "Thank you, for everything."

There was laughter as Gwen and Owen ascended the stairwell together, "Sorry to disappoint you Cooper, but bruises are all you've acquired from that fall."

"But I could always fake an injury to get Rhys to …" The laughter stopped as they saw the upset woman. "My god, what's wrong?!"

"Nothing." Jack assured as he pulled his hand free and forced back the tearful overwhelming feeling that threatened to take control of him.

"Just a bit of sad family news." Toshiko smiled to create the illusion that she would be okay. "I'll be fine in a moment or two."

"Right now, who wants what?" Ianto shouted from his kitchenette corner.

"Nothing for me thanks, I'm just on my way to meet up with Andy." Gwen answered and she began to make her way across the hub.

"Do I still need to remind you that I can no longer eat or drink?" Sarcasm oozed from Owen's question in response to the Welshman's inquiry.

"You know what I'll have." Jack chuckled, his reply not relating to the hot beverage in any way whatsoever and he turned to sombrely ask Toshiko. "The usual?" He received a nod and relayed her choice back to Ianto in a raised voice. "The usual for Tosh, black and three sugars!"

"She has two sugars Jack, not three." Gwen taunted the forgetful memory that her captain had when it came to remembering food and drink orders, as she left through the huge circular entrance to rendezvous with the PC.

"Of course, my mistake." He smiled dopily and then heard the phone ringing in his office. "Excuse me kiddies but that'll be Martha again." He got up from where he sat on the settee and went to take the call.

Ianto watched him leave as he stirred the dark coloured liquid. He didn't need reminding how Toshiko took her coffee, - he'd been making it for her for two years now, - and neither did Jack. All that the three sugars comment told him was that his assumptions were correct and that a dose of Retcon was to be added also. Soon she'd have no memory of the vision she had been shown by the Shinigami.

"Are you sure you're okay Tosh?" Owen asked curiously.

"Fine thanks." She nodded not looking at him as the thought of his life ending just before hers upset her greatly.

"As long as you're sure." The young doctor proceeded to retreat back to his medical bay.

She listened to the footsteps disappear down the stairwell, each one fainter than the last until he couldn't be heard anymore. Not able to keep back the surge of tears any longer as she was reminded of the vision by his disappearance through sound, she brought the handkerchief back up to her face and muffled the sobs that forced their way out.

"I knew it!" Owen mumbled to himself. He had been stood on the top few steps of the stairwell all along, unsure about leaving his colleague in such a mournful state. But why did he care? Could it possibly be because she still cared for him? Was it really too late to make a go of things with her? The answers to his questions didn't matter right now as all he wanted to do was sit there and comfort her as best as he could, an arm wrapped over her shoulders and pulling her closer to him.

"Here you are, get that down you, you'll feel a lot better." Ianto said as he handed Toshiko the steaming hot cup. There was a sad smile present on his face as he watched her take a couple of sips. His friend had barely a month to live and when the time came he'd make sure that he was with her so that she didn't have to spend her last moments alone.

Glancing up from the couple seated on the settee, he then looked in through the windows of Jack's office to see the captain leaning back in his chair whilst chatting on the phone. The smile on the Welshman's face broadened at the sight he saw once more.

One of the things that constantly worried his lover was the thought that because of his immortality he would never be able to find a peaceful ending to his life and was scared that he would have to keep on living the tired, tormented routine which death never liked to conquer for very long. But now Ianto knew the answer to that query as the digits dancing above '_Jack's_' head revealed that he was destined to meet his final end one day. At some point in the far off future his lover would be able to blissfully rest without a care in the world and he'd be there waiting. His captain was everything to him and now the Welshman was even more determined to live each moment that they shared as though it was their last.

Life, - especially his, after bargaining with the Shinigami, - was too short, and five billion years was one hell of a long time to wait before being reunited with the man he loved.

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**A/N: And there you have it, the end of this story.**

**Hope it was enjoyed,**

**KG**


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